Sasha Lane to Star in Amazon's Gillian Flynn Series 'Utopia'

American Honey breakout Sasha Lane has been tapped to star in the straight-to-series drama from Sharp Objects author Gillian Flynn.

Picked up with a nine-episode order, Utopia is based on Dennis Kelly's British series of the same name. The drama revolves around a group of young adults who meet online and are mercilessly hunted by a shadowy deep state organization. After they come into possession of a near mythical cult underground graphic novel, they discover the conspiracy theories in the comic's pages may actually be real and are forced into the dangerous, unique and ironic position of saving the world.

Lane will play Jessica Hyde, who is described as being tough and feral after a life on the run from a mysterious and dangerous group — she believes all the answers about her perplexing life story may be hidden in the graphic novel Utopia.

"As I’ve been writing Utopia and trying to imagine the actor who could possibly embody Jessica Hyde, Sasha Lane has constantly kicked her way into my mind," Flynn said. "She has the shapeshifting ability to feel at once raw, unpredictable and a little unnerving while also making you want to wrap your arms around her. I couldn’t be more thrilled to have her play this utterly unique character.”

Lane broke out in Andrea Arnold's 2016 Cannes hit American Honey, which marked her first feature role. Her credits since include Hearts Beat Loud, The Miseducation of Cameron Post and the upcoming Hellboy and Weetzie Bat. She's repped by WME, the Long Run's Amy BonFleur and attorney Andre Des Rochers.

Flynn will be credited as the lone creator on Utopia on which she will also exec produce and serve as showrunner. Exec producers include Flynn's Sharp Objects collaborator Jessica Rhoades, Sharon Hall, Karen Wilson, Kelly and Diederick Santer. The series is a co-production between Endemol Shine North America, its U.K. production studio Kudos and Amazon Studios. Endemol Shine North America president of scripted and unscripted Sharon Levy will oversee for the company.